Ragged Marsh

Pastel on sanded Arches, 15x11

Plein air painting at Castaway Island Preserve, Jacksonville.

In the morning, the views across the marsh to the line of pine and cedar trees are always full of mystery and contrast. 

The summer is coming and the colors are turning from reds and brown to green and gold.  The cedar trees provide the solid, deep shadows and the various kinds of marsh grass throw in the color.  The pine trees stand above oaks, cedars, and underbrush as “tree herders” watching over their ragged and tangled charges.

Note on cameras: I use a Canon ELPH 320 HS, but I have not been completely satisfied with the color and contrast of photos of my paintings.  I did some experimenting this afternoon with manual settings and found the results were much more satisfactory.  I set the camera for "cloudy" daylight.  The colors are still slightly too green, but I can adjust that with just a touch from Photoshop.